My BLUE Secret
by Crystal Wagner
Summary: I had a really wierd dream one night. I wrote it down and kept wrighting and came up with this...i made up some if not most of theese charicters, but it also has charicters from the XMen movies and commics...


My Blue Secret

**Chapter 1: ****Twilight**

Hi, I'm Crystal. I'm 15 years old. I have a mom and a dad, but they aren't my parents. I'm a foster kid. Don't know my birth parents. If you are going to pity me, don't do it for that. My life is weird. Now you get to see just how weird it is, and it all started on Friday.

I get home from school on Friday. My family is going on a trip to Hawaii to see family. Their family, not mine.

I get home and the house is spotless. Our stuff is packed. I grab a nap-sack and put some stuff in, 2 X-Men comic books and some money. Then I pocket my cell, check my watch, and lay down for a little. I cough and a thought crosses my mind. Is mom trying to cook again?

I doze and the next thing I know, I'm up to my waist in cold water. I look around in front of me. The water's merky, but I can see…stuff, objects, in the water.

I have a sudden bad feeling. I look behind me and see my parents. They are…crying.

"Mom! Dad! What's going on?" I yell to them"Honey! Our house is under the water! It's broken up but it's still our…" she can't finish. She sobs into dad's shoulder

"I'll go find help!" I call as I head out of the water. They start to bring our things out of the water to dry out on the beach. Instinctively, I check my watch. It's fine. I remember my cell and check it; also fine. My nap-sack is dry as well.

Suddenly, my phone starts ringing. I answer, "Hello?"

"I know who, and what, you are. You can't hide forever." A creepy voice on the other end says. Then the caller hangs up.

I look over my shoulder. I had walked out of my parents' sight. That didn't help to calm my nerves.

This…big guy, whose face was hidden, steps out of a shadow. He is wearing a suit.

He lunges at me, tries to put me in a headlock. I slip away and run. He doesn't fallow. I walk again. About half way around the…lake he attacks again.

I slip out, again, and run into this…seaside shack looking thing. Inside the door is a small flight of stairs and a wall separating the stairs and a stage. Some one on the stage says something funny and the audience, who is sitting around tables, busts a gut.

I stand by the stairs and try to catch my breath. Before I can, the door opens. My head jerks up involuntarily; the big guy is standing there.

"What do you want? Who are you?" I yell at him. The audience is oblivious to us.

"I am a human who wants all mutants locked up." He answers coolly. Then, I am out cold…

Oh, my head. I shake it and open my eyes to look at the floor. I realize that I am in a back room of the seaside shack. My hands are handcuffed behind a pole. My tailbone itches. My watch is gone. Bag just out of reach on the floor.

My tailbone itches, a lot. I try to scratch it on the pole.

"Oh!" I gasp. I have a **tail** coming out of a small rip in my pants. 'Wow, that looks cool. Wait, I have a tail! What the heck! Oh, gosh, now I have **fur** too?' I think looking myself over.

I start breathing very fast. A sudden noise makes me look up. I search the dark room. There was a pole like mine in each corner of the room, mine being the closest to the door.

My eyes seemed to take forever to adjust. In the closest corner was someone, or thing, else tied like me. I could tell, at least, that the…person had a tail, also tied to the pole. I can tell this because he- and I now realized it was a boy similar to my age- moved his lower body very little.

He looks into my eyes with his bright yellow ones. He too has fur, although his fur is such a dark blue that it looks almost black. He looks familiar, but I can't place him.

He stares into my eyes, his so cunning. The little of his face that I can see shows confusion, almost as if he recognizes me from somewhere.

"Do…do I know you?" I ask.

"I…don't know. How did you get in here? Who are you?" He says.

"This big guy, I guess. He attacked me. I had left my parents. Oh no! What if they get worried, come to look for me, and run into him? I've got to do something! I've got to…Ow!" I finish by pulling away from the pole, making the knot in my tail tighter.

"Whoa! Hold up. What?" He is so confused.

"It…it's a long story." I say lamely.

"Well, I don't think we're going anywhere." He jokes. So I tell him. He never moves his stare. By the end, I get the feeling that more eyes are on me.

"Wow." A voice whispers from another corner. I jerk up and around, pull my tail, and see a man in the far corner.

"Hey, kid, calm down." He says.

"No, I'm fine." I say strongly.

"So when do we get out?" a girl, also my age, in the last corner asks. I notice they are in normal cloths. Don't know why that stands out.

"No idea." The man answers.

"I hope he tells us soon." The boy whispers.

"First things first. I need names." I say, taking charge. The two kids look at the man, who sighs slightly. Then he grunts and nods shortly once.

"Until we get out of this mess, I'm Nightcrawler. This is Shadowcat and Wolverine." The boy says.

"Should I have a nickname?" I ask, only half sarcastically.

"Look, kid, this isn't about code names and costumes." The man, Wolverine, snaps.

Nightcrawler glares at Wolverine and says, in a strange voice, "Of corse she can."

"How about…Midnight?" I ask. They exchange obviously meaningful looks.

Feeling left out, I ask, "What? Is that a bad name?"

"Well…" Night crawler starts.

"No. When we get outa this mess, the Prof' will tell her." Wolverine cuts in.

"Ook. How about…Twilight?" I ask.

"Sure." (Nightcrawler)

"Ok." (Shadowcat)

"Whatever." (Wolverine) So we sit there. We talk a little. I look at everyone.

Wolverine is a tough guy, but he is short. He has black hair. His eyes are dark and sharp. He reminds me of a gorilla, don't know why though…

Shadowcat looks the most normal. She has shoulder length brown hair and green eyes. The only thing that stands out to me is that the pupils of her eyes are like a cat… sort of…

Nightcrawler reminds me of a friend I had back home. I have no idea why. My friend is big and tall. Oh, my friend? He isn't covered in fur. Nightcrawler is average height, but he slouches. I guess it's his face…

After about an hour, I start to get bored.

"So, are we gona do something or just sit here?" I ask.

"Shadowcat? Are you ready?" Wolverine says in a strange voice.

"Ya, think so." She answers. She takes a deep breath. Then…she sinks through the floor!

"She could do that? The whole time?" I ask…loudly.

"Well, no. She had to wait for the Professor to cancel the chip in her handcuffs that keeps her from using her powers." Nightcrawler tries to explain.

"How could he cancel the mechanism or whatever if he isn't even here?" I ask my voice rising.

"Hey! Quiet back there!" A voice, lying just outside the door, yells.

"Oh he's here." Wolverine whispers.

"Ook. Now what?" I ask.

"Now we wait." Nightcrawler says. While we wait, Nightcrawler explains the plan to me. Shadowcat is going to find the fuse box, flip the switch that powers our handcuffs, then the one that powers the lights. We will get as far out of here as we can before the bad guys figure out what's going on and come after us. Luckily we have a jet parked on the other side of the lake. I hadn't seen it because of its cloaking devise. We can get my parents and get the heck out. My parents might not come. I don't think they knew that I'm a mutant. They might not even be there any more.

As I ponder this, the handcuffs drop to the floor. I rub my wrists and untie my tail. I wag it a couple of times. Then I flexed it, maneuvered it, and wrap it around the pole. It's pretty strong and cool looking. It's blue (like the rest of my fur) with a thin blood-red strip running down both sides. I wag it again. I look up and see Nightcrawler doing the same thing. He looks up then away.

I grin to myself. A piece of hair falls into my eyes. Blood red; just like before.

"You kids ready?" Wolverine asks. Nightcrawler and I nod. "Good." So we stand in a loose circle, waiting for the lights to go out. Then it hits me. How could I have been so stupid?

"Whoa… Nightcrawler? Are you guys the X-Men?" I whisper.

"Yea. How did you know?" He asks.

"My comics." I say shortly, grabbing my nap-sack. He gives me a questioning look. Before I answer, the lights go out.

"That's our Que." Wolverine says.

Shadowcat comes up out of the ground and says, "Let's get gone." We run out the door. The audience is screaming and flailing about in the dark. That's good…and bad. Good cover, but people keep stepping on my tail, and we can't move very fast.

We are about halfway across the room and the lights turn back on. The audience around us takes a step back. Large crowds of men in suits come out of another back room. They surround and point guns at us.

"Halt." One of them says.

"Halt this." Wolverine says and digs his fist into the man's stomach. He crumples but isn't dead.

"Go." Wolverine says. We fight our way out. The crowd helps. They don't want to get within reach of us. I start using chairs and tables, jumping from one to another. Then landing on the occasional guard that gets in the way. I grab guns with my tail, brake them, and fling the pieces.

My knapsack gets in the way, but oh well.

We reach the door in one piece. We burst out and into cool night air. I look at the mountains on the other side of the lake. A large full moon is coming up. I stare up at it, frozen in place as Wolverine and Shadowcat shoot past. I look at Nightcrawler who is also stopped. He notices me. We look back up at the moon together.

A whisper runs through my brain, sparking every nerve and says _ The secret lies with Midnight ._

"Whoa." I say as the whispered words echo around my mind.

"What?" Nightcrawler asks.

"Would you believe a voice inside my head?" I joke. He smiles. We run together to catch up to Wolverine and Shadowcat.

When we get to the other side of the lake, there is no trace that my house, or my parents, had ever even been there. I look out into the water. The moon, now high in the sky is reflecting in it. The water is crystal clear. Crystal…

"Let's go. Before they…" Wolverine starts but is interrupted by barks in the distance. "Lets go. Now."

He pulls a small remote out of his pocket, grins and pushes the button. The jet shimmers into view. A ramp lowers and we run in. Wolverine runs to the front of the jet. I stay back by the ramp and watch it close.

"What took you so long, Logan?" A woman in the copilot's seat asks. She has darker skin and white hair, not blond, white. She is also in normal clothes. Why that is nagging me, I don't know.

"We ran into a little trouble." Nightcrawler says.

"Like what? All you were going to do was get takeout." She says. Her eyes are a clear blue, like water on a summer day.

"They had a mutant scanner hidden in the door." Wolverine grunts.

"Oh." She says.

"Wait, who are you? Who is this?" A man in the pilot's chair asks. He has full sunglasses.

I step forward. "My name is Crystal. My family and house…in the lake…then this big guy…and…and the seaside shack thing." I babble.

"We'll tell you on the way." Shadowcat says, cutting me off. I thank her silently. The dog barking draws ever closer. "I say, lets get gone."

"Fine with me." The man says. We leave. For about an hour I explain my story and answer questions.

"So where was your house before it was in the lake?" Shadowcat asks.

"I lived in northern Utah. It was a small town called Garland, it's north of Tremonton. I guess you guys don't know where that is either…" I answer. Wolverine glances at the pilot's seat. (The pilot is a young man with brown hair. His face is tired from a many a long night. I can tell that he has a lot on his mind.) The man shows no sign, but the plane, jet, whatever, speeds up. Then I make a mistake.

"What's wrong with Cyke?" I ask Nightcrawler.

That attracts stares from everyone but the pilot. Though the jet does a sort of jerk…

_Oh, reader, I must take a moment to inform you. In case you have limited knowledge of X-Men, the two people who were waiting on the jet for Wolverine, Shadowcat, and Nightcrawler are Storm and Cyclops. _

"What?" I ask. They stare. I get uncomfortable. "Ook. Is there a place where I can catch some Z's or do I just sit?" Still no answer for me, so eyes fallow me to the back of the jet. I lay on a row of seats; strap some of the belts, just in case. Then…sleep….

"Mom? Dad?" I yell. I'm in a dark hall. Locked doors everywhere. Bad feeling. Turn around. A vortex of black and blue, swirling. Two eyes, yellow eyes, evil eyes, appear in the vortex.

"AHHHH!" I scream awake. Wolverine is standing over me, holding my quaking shoulders. The plane is on the ground. Everyone standing around, staring at me. I take a deep breath. "What's going on?" I ask as calmly as I can.

"We're at the school. Let's get inside." Wolverine urges, half helping, half lifting, me up off the floor. I grab my nap-sack and in we go.

Outside of the plane is a small stand of trees, probably on the grounds of the school. I walk in a haze, like fog is clouding my brain…My brain? I can think clearly, but my body is stumbling, slow to react.

In my 'haze walk' I think. What if my comics are real? Or maybe I'm crazy, sitting in some padded cell and having delusions.

If my comics are real (which I would prefer much more), then I must have powers. Other than looking like a…creep.

I try to wag my tail, but my butt shakes.

"What the…" I whisper. I am…normal. At least, as normal as I had been before. A piece of my hair fell into my eyes. It's the same. I wonder if anything else hasn't changed.

"Hey, Nightcrawler, what color are my eyes?" I ask. "Have they changed too?" Why am I talking so slow?

"No, they are a crystal kind of red." Nightcrawler answers, slowly.

Well, that didn't change. Whoa…dizzy. My knees buckle.

"Oh!" I say as I fall to my knees. I try to stand, but I fall on my butt. Wow, I must look ridiculous. I feel ridiculous.

We get inside. I am taken to the lower levels for 'medical attention, _like I need it_. I wonder what is wrong with me.

Maybe the Professor is messing with my head. I don't know. The thought of me, being in a crazy house's padded cell wanders into my mind.

I shiver, too hard. I fall. What is wrong with me? I get to the 'hospital' room.

I have a few tests, run by Storm, while I am awake. Then they put me to sleep…

I wake up in a strange room. I have a sudden urge to want my tail.

Then, I am blue, again. I actually like it better than looking normal. Being normal is vastly overrated.

I get out of the bed. I admit I like being here rather than the seaside shack. I try the door handle; locked. A small slit with bars in it serves as a window. Outside the window, the sun is just starting to rise in the distance. It reminds me of a jail sell. Only, the walls, floor, and ceiling aren't cement. I can't think of any way that I can escape. I stare out at the sun set.

How many days have I been here? I ask myself.

_Click_. The door unlocks. I spin away from the window. I duck down next to the bed. My nap-sack is there on the floor. I shoulder it quickly. I peak over the side of the bed. The door remains shut. I step carefully over to it. I place my hand gingerly upon the doorknob. Nothing happens. I turn it. The door opens soundlessly.

I step quietly into the hall, so far so good. I walk down the hall. I recognize it. It is the same as I had dreamed about, locked doors and all. I spin around, and hope that I'm prepared for anything. I'm not.

**BAMPH!** There is a cloud of black smoke and a nasty smell. I close my eyes and cough.

"Sorry. Are you ok?" Nightcrawler asks, walking from the quickly fading black smoke.

"Yea. Think so." I answer, brushing dust off my shoulder. He grins. I grin.

"So what are you doing out here?" He asks.

"I…the door was unlocked. I don't like being in a place that I don't understand." I say, glancing behind me. Something felt wrong, almost…out of place.

"Ok. Well, when you have some free time, maybe we can hook up or something. Go see a movie or…I don't know. Not as a couple, though, just as friends." He says. I blush, luckily my fur covers it up. I shift my nap-sack on my shoulder.

"Ya, maybe. I'd like that." I say. He nods, grinning. I grin. I think I finally have a crush. (Shh, don't tell any one.)

He teleports away and I walk. I search the hall. Not much to see, other than the locked doors and icy windows. Icy… the lake must have been somewhere south. If the comics are real than I'm in New York. That is, unless this isn't the school.

I turn a corner. Through an opening in the wall floats the sound of a TV. I peak inside. There is a flight of stairs that runs to the ground floor, which leads to the front door. On the wall next to the door is an opening to a large room, sort of a TV /game room. A few adults sit on couches and some kids play foosball. The TV that I had heard is tuned to the news. I try to catch what the man in a business suit is saying, but the TV is too far away.

I take a deep breath, and will myself to look normal, despite the nagging need to have my tail. Then, I am normal.

I walk quickly down the stairs. I'm not as quiet as I am when I'm blue. In fact, I'm kind of noisy, stepping on almost all of the squeaky spots. Fear makes my breaths come in sharp and my lungs ache. My aching lungs make my sharp breathing heavy and noisy.

What if I get caught? What will they do to me? I stumble down the stairs, hoping against hope that I won't be discovered.

I see a boy with dark blue, almost black hair and pale skin walks into the room from another direction. He has no blue fur, but I can tell that it's Nightcrawler. He walks over to one of the adults, the Professor, bends down to whisper in his ear.

I freeze in mid-step. Had the Professor been siting there, listening to my thoughts? Is he listening to them now?

Nightcrawler looks up at me. He smiles and walks out of my sight. What had he told the Professor?

Too many questions that I can't answer. My head feels like it will explode. Oh well. Deal with what is happening now, worry about the future when it comes. I shift the pack on my shoulder.

Hello. My name is Professor Charles Exaivior. Will you come here and talk to me? A voice whispers in my mind. I look back at the Professor. He is looking at me. I know he was just talking to me. I will him to hear my thoughts.

'I will talk to you, but only in private.' I beg him in my mind. He leans over to a woman, Storm, and whispers something. He looks up at me. He nods and turns his wheelchair around. He comes out of the TV /game room and waits outside a door next to the one he came out of.

Are you coming? He asks warmly. I nod and walk down the stairs. I keep glancing around. Something was bound to go wrong. The door opens and he goes in. I fallow and shut the door behind me.

"Hello, Professor." I say, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Hello, Crystal." He says warmly. He reminds me of the fun grandpa you see in the movies. Only with the Professor, you don't get the urge to run over and give him a big bear hug. I can't decide were to look. I don't like to look at eyes when they are looking at me.

"Is something wrong?" He asks. I feel his eyes upon me. Searching, trying to find what even I can't. What is he looking for? What could he possibly find in me?

I begin to feel his mind in mine. Don't ask me how, but I can. I feel him searching, digging up the past. I give it to him. My whole life, things I don't even remember that had happened. I watch it all flash past in a blur. I close my eyes. Visions, pictures, flash past beneath my eyelids, disconnected, and intertwined.

Then…black. I open my eyes. The Professor is sitting there as if nothing has happened. I look into his eyes. I try to hold the connection, but I fail. My sight falls to the floor. I study the intricate design in the carpet.

"Have you eaten yet?" He asks me.

"Oh, no. I haven't." I reply. He points to a table. On the table is a small buffet with breakfast. I look at it, then at him. He nods. I set my bag next to a chair and walk over to the large table.

There are so many types of food. I can't decide were to start. So I start at the right and load up, one of everything. (I'll get seconds of what I like later) Biscuits, so soft and warm, melt in my mouth. The bacon is crunchy and juicy. The scrambled eggs are big and light. The sausage is fat and round. I think the orange juice is fresh squeezed. The milk is cold.

I almost go to sleep, now that I am done gorging myself. I try to wipe the sleep from my thoughts, or put it to the back of my mind. There, I realize, isn't safe from a telepath.

"You must be tiered." He comments.

"Oh, um, just a little." I say, attempting to rub sleep from my eye.

"All right. Morphious will show you to your room." As the Professor says this, a boy with (short and spiky) brown hair comes in the door.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" The boy asks.

"Will you please take Crystal to her room?" The Professor asks.

"Oh, sure." The boy, Morphious I guess, answers. I grab my pack and he takes me to an elevator. We get inside and he pushes the button marked with a 3. There are three buttons that are marked with the numbers from 1 to 3. A fourth button is marked with a LL.

"Morphious? What does LL stand for?" I ask.

"Lower Levels. I heard you have to have a special key to go there." He whispers.

"Why are we whispering?" I whisper back.

"I heard that the whole school is bugged." He whispers. I bark out a harsh laugh. He looks at me quizzically.

"Why would a telepath want bugs everywhere? Why wouldn't he just fallow the minds of his students?" I ask. That stumps him.

The elevator opens to a hall just as barren as the one I had woken up on, the second floor I guess. I can hear girls giggling and boys messing around.

"Who else is here? How many students?" I wonder out loud. Morphious apparently thinks that I'm asking him.

"There are about twenty kids here." He says taking the lead down the hall. I glance at him; he is watching the numbers on the doors as we go past. I hadn't noticed the numbers until now.

"Well, I guess you make it an even twenty." He continues. "Girls live in the even numbered rooms and boys live in the odd ones… We go to the high school in town, Bayvile High… Professor X must want you in room twenty seeing as all the other rooms are taken…" He never seems to stop, the whole way down the hall. He never shuts up! Its amazing that he hasn't run out of air.

"So what is there to do?" I ask.

"Lots of stuff…" He says distractedly. We turn a corner and are at the door marked "20C".

"Care to elaborate?" I prod, trying to get some answers.

"Um… I'll get you a printout of the activities. Well, this is your room. The key should be inside. If you need anything, just give a holler. Somebody is bound to hear…" He waves as he walks around the corner.

I open the door and go in. I see the key sitting on a small table next to the door. I lock the door. Then I take a look at the room. The closet is in the same wall as the door. A window, facing west (across from the door) shows the sun; a fire burning the horizon, just about to sink. To the left is an average bed. To the right is a door that is partially open. I go in and see that it is a bathroom; another door connects it to another room. The door is locked, so I can't see whose room it is.

I toss my sack onto the bed and go back and look in the closet. It is full of cloths. Mostly genes and hoodies, but there are a couple of T-shirts and a… leather jacket! I try on the jacket. It fits! Ok, so the cloths in the closet fit.

I slip into a pair of sweat pants and a large sweatshirt. It reminds me of what I would wear at my house in Utah. I wonder why Cyke got so up tight when I told him where l was from…

_Bang! Bang!_ Someone knocks at the door. I walk over to it and peak through the "peep hole". A boy is standing there with his back to me. I whisper, "Oook."

I open the door silently. He is hunched over a slip of paper, muttering to himself. I try to step closer to find out what's going on, but I step on a squeaky board. He spins around and says, "Hi! Are you Crystal?" When I nod, he continues, "I was told to give you this." Handing me the slip of paper he finishes with a simple, "Bye!"

I shut the door and lock it. Then I look at the note. It reads:

_Crystal,_

_You are to come to room 1B at sunrise. We will be doing Yoga and stretching. You should find a gui in your closet. After that we will be going to the Danger Room to test your skills and abilities. You should have a rental uniform in the closet as well._

_Cyclops._

"Oh boy." I go over to the bed, shove my pack to the floor, and am asleep before I hit the pillow… literally.

Darkness, all shadows, all around. I can see nothing. I can hear nothing. I can feel nothing. Only the Darkness is here. Only the stench of death is smelt.

Suddenly, a light appears. A red light, a light that comes from above. I try to look into the light, but it is too bright. I look around me. All blood and loss and death, the stench of death growing ever larger as the light grows. More and more fields of death are revealed. Bodies are revealed. Graves are uncovered for the first time in a long time. The killer's dead are rotting in the fields of blood.

Then, one body stands out. It is on a stone. It is the only body not touched by the red light from above. It shines by a light from within. I draw closer, though I do not wish to see the face. I know who it will be. I can't let myself see it, but I can do nothing to stop me from drawing closer.

The boy on the stone is on his back, sword in hand, hands crossed over the chest. His face is too bright. The light from within him is blue. The light is small, but it keeps the red light of death away.

Then, his light starts to fade. The red light is gone. Only the stone, the boy, and I are not in darkness again. The light is fading. His light, I try to keep it alive. I can do nothing. The light is out. The last things I see are the eyes, closed gently.

I am in Darkness, and I am alone.

I wake up in a pool of sweat on top of my bed. It's still dark outside, so I take a shower. When I get out I put on the gui. I look at the clock; it is just past midnight.

I go over to the window. There is a great view of the back yard of the school, but I am facing west. I climb out of the window and stand on the ledge. I can't get a good grip. I start to slip, but my tail grabs the window. Now I am blue.

I am now standing perpendicular to the wall, facing the ground, with only my tail holding me up. I turn around and climb up out of the window and onto the roof.

I peak over the edge of the roof. No one is out. No one will see me.

I sit just below the tip of the roof, facing east. I have my legs crossed and my eyes closed, waiting for the light of the sun to reach my fur.

I am meditating the night away. I don't sleep, just think. I think about the dream. It had been so real, and yet, so not real. The boy on the stone… it was Nightcrawler.

Now that I think of it, I've been dreaming of him a lot… wonder why.

The sun is on the horizon. The first rays shining into my eyes. Sunrise is beautiful.

I climb in my window. A bell rings in the room next door. Who is in that room? I shift to normal appearance again, careful not to look in the mirror. Then I grab my key and go into the hall, locking the door behind me. Lots of kids are already in the hall. One of them notices me. _That's nice. I never get noticed. I'm always overlooked or ignored._

"Hey! Are you the noob?" A boy walks over to me. _I thought too soon._ He also has a gui on. He has spiky black hair and tan skin.

"Sure. Who are you supposed to be?" I ask, playing the tomboy role. I like that mask, you get to play hard and don't have to show any feelings.

He glares at me with his electric blue eyes. "I'm Chad. Noobs like you call me Bluepool." He says, catching my tough act and testing it. I should shoot back some smart remark or another, but I can't think of anything that won't backfire. So I shove him aside as I make my way to the elevator.

I go to the first floor and find room 1B. A small group of ten girls is in there, though one of them is the woman from the jet. Storm.

"All right every one, settle down now." Storm says. The girls fall silent at once, even though her tone was calm and unthreatening. "Today we will be reviewing the basics." The girls all groan. "We also have a new student."

All eyes turn to me. "Ah… hi." I say.

"Crystal!" Shadowcat says, coming to my rescue. If my comics are right, her real name is Katharine Pryde. She likes to be called 'Kitty'.

"Hey, Kitty. What's up?" I ask. She stares at me for a second, then I'm surrounded by the rest of the girls.

"I'm Rogue…" She shakes my hand with her gloved one.

"Danny Matthew…"

"May Day…" I grin as she says her name.

"Iris…"

"Sarah Evens, have you met my little brother yet?"

"Tatiana Olsen…"

"Tashona…"

"Jubilee…"

After the crowd, we get in two rows of five and Storm stands at the front alone. I catch on to the yoga stuff pretty quick.

When class is over, I walk up to Storm to ask about the danger room.

"Well, what do you want to know?" She asks.

"For starters, where is it?" I ask.

"I will show you. Meet me in the elevator in five minuets?" She answers.

I nod, "Yea, ok." I walk out the door, then I run down the hall to the elevator. The doors finally open and I get in and jam the '3' button. The elevator takes what feels like forever.

It finally opens and I race down the hall to my door. I wrench on it five times before I realized that it was locked. I fumbled with the key and open the door. I get in and lock it.

Now inside, I rip the gui off and throw it to the floor of the closet. I dig into the back of the closet and find the "uniform".

The uniform includes a red long-sleeve T-shirt; a gray jacket that goes my elbows and my knees; elbow-length, green gloves; green shoulder-pads; blue genes; a black belt that has a green buckle; green knee-pads; and gray/green boots.

I look it over once and jump into it. It is fairly comfortable.

I go to my door and let myself out, locking it behind me. I run around the corner and run right into Cyclops.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I… I didn't mean to…" I apologize.

"It's ok, Twilight. Lets get going. Storm said you were supposed to meet her in the elevator. Oh, you might want to… turn blue." He says as we walk hurriedly down the hall. I hadn't realized that I had taken so much time.

"Why should I turn blue?" I ask.

"Well… the hole in your pants, and you perform better when you're blue." He answers.

"Oh…" I whisper. I concentrate on what I look like when I'm blue. I feel a slight tingle at my tailbone, but then I have my tail and fur. He looks down at me and nods.

We reach the elevator before I realize that he, too, is in a uniform. His is better made for long time use, where as mine is more for temporary use.

When he pushes the 'LL' button, he looks at me. He looks surprised.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing…" He looks away. The trip is only a couple minuets, but it seems to stretch on and on.

The doors open and we step out. Many students, all in uniforms, are crowded around a window.

"What's going on?" I ask Cyclops.

"I don't know… but I'm going to find out…" He answers, more to himself then to me.

He pushes his way through the crowd to see what they are all looking at.

Two people are standing in the middle of the room beyond the glass. One has his back to the window; he has spiky black hair. The other is Nightcrawler.

Cyclops presses a button on the wall, below the window, and their voices are heard through an unseen speaker. When the voices are heard there is a slight delay between the movements of their mouths and the words.

_"…Don't want to fight you."_ Nightcrawler's voice says.

_"Ya? I wouldn't want to fight me either."_

_"Just go away."_

_"No."_ The boy with the black hair pushes Nightcrawler. He stumbles back, but doesn't fall. He starts walking towards the door.

_"I'm not finished with you just yet."_ The boy says, grabbing Nightcrawler's shoulder to turn him around.

Nightcrawler lets himself be turned, but doesn't look at the boy. He looks at the wall.

_"What are you looking at?"_ The boy says confused. He turns and looks at the wall. Then I recognize him as Bluepool.

_"My tag-team partner."_ Nightcrawler answers.

_From the inside you can't see the window. It just looks like part of the wall, but some how Nightcrawler had looked through the wall and into my eyes. I held his stare. I nodded once, and so did he._

"Where is the door?" I ask quietly. I now realize all the eyes are now upon me. None of them say anything.

"Where is the door?!" I shout. The students move out of the way, forming a path to the door. I walk quickly over to it. Mutters rise from the silence. One calls to me as I place my hand on the doorknob.

"You don't want to mess with Bluepool!"

"I'll take my chances." I whisper. Then I turn the knob and walk swiftly in.

"What the…?" I walk over and gently remove Bluepool's hand from Nightcrawler's shoulder. He stares at his hand in disbelief.

"Thanks." Nightcrawler whispers.

"No problem." I whisper back. Then Bluepool finds his voice.

"Do I know you?" He asks in threatening tones.

"No, you don't, but you should." I answer coolly.

"Really? Am I supposed to be afraid of two little blue elves?" He scoffs.

"Yes, you are." I answer calmly. I let no expression show.

"So what am I supposed to call you?" He asks, uncertain of where to go from there.

"I have many names, but you may call me Twilight. Now, welcome to the Twilight Zone." I say. With the last word, I punch him strait in the face. He falls to the floor, clutching his nose.

Nightcrawler hums the jingle off of the old "Twilight Zone" TV show.

"You just couldn't not do that, could you?" I joke.

"Um… no more than you could." He jokes back.

Cyclops comes in and bends over Bluepool, who is still squirming on the floor.

"Calm down. You'll be fine." Cyclops tells him.

"Nice punch, by the way." Nightcrawler tells me.

I blush and thank my fur for covering it.

The students from the hall begin to cram in through the door. With the help of some boys, Cyclops gets Bluepool to his feet. All of us line up against the back wall.

'_This is kind of like PE.'_ I think. Then the floor, walls and ceiling disappear.

I let out a quiet gasp as the wall I was leaning on gives way. I almost fall, but I don't.

The room is now a dusty field of twisted metal and fire. In the distance I can see two lights.

"What's going on?" I ask, leaning on an overturned car.

"See the two lights? That is a sentinel. We have to stop it." Nightcrawler answers, grinning. I grin weakly.

"How do we do that?" I ask quietly. I didn't think he had heard me, due to the long pause he took to answer.

"That depends on what level…" He whispers.

"What level are we starting on?" I ask.

"That's up to Cyke." He says. "Storm is in the control room. It will probably be cake the first time."

Cyclops is standing a few feet off, but I can hear him clearly say, "Ok, Storm. Make it level 10."

Storm's reply comes in, "But Cyclops. This is her first time!"

"She proved that she can handle herself. Just do it, ok?" Cyclops says, the anger heard but under control.

"Ok. Here comes the robot." Storm says. A loud crunching rhythm comes from the direction of the robot, and its getting louder.

I jump onto the car. Nightcrawler jumps up after me. By the time he gets up, I am already in a crouch, ready to attack.

"How hard is level 10?" I ask.

"Level 10? Why?"

"I heard Cyke tell Storm to turn it to level 10." I answer. He looks away.

"Ok. Now all we have to do is stop the robot, right?" I ask. He nods. "Something wrong?"

"I've never gone to level 10 before." He says under his breath. I had to lip-read most of it, so I thought that I had heard wrong.

"What? Never been to level 10? What is Cyke thinking?" I yell. The noise of the robot is like a roar in my ears now.

At that moment, Cyclops yelled something. The students are moving, but I didn't hear what he had said. I stand there, watching all the students running… running for shelter.

As I realize this, the robot's lights are almost directly above me. I am the only one left out in the open. Then I realize something; the lights on the robot are red…

I see a blue light through the dust and fog. It's in the direction of the robot, but I start running towards it. I pump my arms and legs, but I can't get any faster. I am still far away from it when I see the robot's feet. Each one was as long and as wide as two school busses. I run between them. The robot stomps around. It is strangely swift and fluid, I almost get squashed once or twice, but I get past them. I hear voices screaming, telling me to come back, but I continue. Many yards away, I hear a single word ring out clearly.

"GO!" Nightcrawler murmurs, yet I hear him. That single word speeds me onward toward the blue light.

I stop a few yards from the light. It's too bright to tell what creates it. I walk slowly, taking one cautious step at a time.

I'm now only a foot away. I put one foot forward and hit something. I look down and see nothing. I try to kick my foot forward and hit something again. Electricity sparks around where my foot hit the air.

"A force field?" I ask myself. "Now what? How am I supposed to get through? Unless I'm not supposed to get through…" I walk to the right, keeping my hand on the invisible force field. I walk in a circle, always about a foot away from the light. Back at the front of the force field, I stop.

I yell and fall to my knees. I hit the force field with another yell. Sparks dance for a second. I hit it again, and again, and again. On my knees, I hit the force field at a lopsided rhythm, humming a song. A few times I hit the ground, but I keep going.

The sparks are disturbingly beautiful. I close my eyes, but I can see the sparks beneath my eyelids. I squeeze them harder until lights burst behind my eyelids, disrupting the sparks. I open my eyes.

A small, jagged hole is in the force field. I can see it like a hole in lenses. The force field slightly distorts the view inside, but through the hole pores the blue light.

Something wet trickles under my glove. I look at my hand. It is bloody, tiny glass shards are sticking out. With a sharp intake of breath I begin to hit the force field again. I'm slower this time, now knowing what I'm doing to myself. Every time I hit, images of blood and broken glass flash through my mind. With every hit, my lungs ache as a sharp breath enters.

I open my eyes again. Ripping some of the glass stuff back, the hole gets large enough to crawl through. I get down on my belly, trying not to look at my hands.

I belly-crawl trough the jagged hole, ignoring the pain in my hands and the feel of ripping cloth on my back.

I'm in the force field now. The blue light is coming from a small orb around a test tube. I grab the orb. The test tube floats in the orb like there is no gravity. I turn around and belly crawl back out through the hole.

I run back, jumping on cars, getting as much altitude as possible. Finally the robot is in sight. All the students are backpedaling and diving for cover. I'm at the robot's mid-back. I jump and grab.

The robot doesn't notice me… yet. I see a round hole in the back of the head.

I start to climb; the ball grasped in my left hand…

At the base of the robot's neck is a circular hole. I hold the sphere up to the hole. Suddenly, the sphere is sucked out of my hand and into the hole.

The robot stops, stands up straight, and in an electrical voice says, "Self-destruct activated. Self-destruct in 10 seconds... Self-destruct in 5… 4…"

I jump down, crashing through a window and into the back seat of a car. "3… 2…" The car falls off the pile.

The last thing I see is the ground racing down at me. Then I think, "_The ground isn't up…"_ Then everything goes black…

I open my eyes. The bright lights of the hospital room dazzle my eyes. I close them and grown. A rustling sound next to my bed makes my eyes fly wide open. A boy with black-blue hair is sitting next to the bed.

"Your awake!" He says surprised.

"Am I not supposed to be?" I ask quietly. My throat is soar and parched.

He laughs and says, "You shouldn't be. You should be dead… They still can't figure out why you aren't."

I hadn't missed any sound as much as I had missed the sound of his laugh. "I like your laugh, Kurt." I whisper. I thought I was quiet enough for him not to hear. I was wrong.

He freezes. His eyes showing how fast his mind is racing. He stiffly sits back down into the chair, muttering things that I can't hear with my pathetic _normal_ ears.

I reach my hand up to touch my ear. I stop mid-movement. My hands are covered in bandages. I gasp. He sits up.

"What is it?" He asks.

"Nothing… nothing… So why doesn't anyone trust me?" I say.

"What? Everyone trusts you."

"Only the people who don't know me yet. You don't trust me enough to tell me the truth?" I counter

"I trust you. You just… I don't know, you know too much. You aren't surprised when new things happen. You…" He lets it hang.

"You think there is something wrong with me? Or maybe you think I can't explain how I know so much?" I ask. My voice rises slightly.

"No! I don't think anything is wrong with you!" He answers hastily. After a pause he asks, "Can you tell me how you know so much?"

"Yes." I whisper, laying my head back, preparing for a long story.

"Will you tell me?" He asks anxiously.

"Where is my nap-sack?" I ask. He looks at me for a second.

**BAMPH!** A cloud of black smoke fills his chair. I sink back into my pillow. I drift into a shallow sleep.

**BAMPH!** I open my eyes. Nightcrawler is in his chair again, black smoke fading.

"This?" He asks, holding up my pack.

"That's the one." I say reaching for it. He holds it back out of my reach. I grown.

"Answer my question and I'll give this to you." He says.

"The answer is in there. Just let me have it and I'll answer. I swear." I beg. He hands me the bag slowly. I pull it out of his hands and tear open the zipper. I pull out the two X-Men comics.

"What are these?" He asks, picking up one of the comics.

"My favorite books. They are about you, all of you. This is how I know who you are, what your real names are, what your powers and weaknesses are; this is my source of knowledge." I say quietly. He stares at me, the book in his lap.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Kurt. I just thought that… actually I don't know what I thought." I say.

"You knew all along? You knew what was going on the whole time?" He asks.

"No. I thought my comics were coming to life or something. For a while I thought I must be in some crazy house having delusions. That was wrong. This is too real for my imagination." I let a small grin out. He grins too.

"What's this one about?" He asks, picking up the book from his lap and looking over the cover. I reach over and try to grab the book.

"Hey. This kinda looks like me… Is this me?" He asks opening the book, looking at the first picture, and easily avoiding my weak arms. The picture is a nightmare the comic-Nightcrawler had. It was an angry mob burning him at the stake.

I sigh and lay back against the pillow. "Yes, it's you. The tittle is 'Am I Blue?' but please don't read it!"

"Why?" He asks. Then he proceeds to read it out loud. At the end, he is laughing. "That wasn't so bad. I liked the internal conflict. Very nice."

"You really liked it?" I ask.

"Of corse I did. Now what's this one?" He says switching 'Am I Blue?' for 'The Phoenix Chronicles: End song'.

"No! Don't read it!" I yell. He stares at me. Then he stands and walks to the bathroom, book under his arm. "Kurt! Please, no!" I shout, but the door is already shut. I slam my hand on the bed and regret it at once.

About a half-hour latter, he comes out. His face is paler than usual and his eyes are wide.

"I warned you." I say. He nods and sits down, staring at the cover. "Bad, isn't it?" He nods again. The cover has a woman with red hair and a Phoenix costume flying with fire around her.

"Jean…" He whispers.

_The X-Men, in a roundabout story, end up going to an alien planet where Jean shoots herself to keep from doing anything as Phoenix. Phoenix is like an alternate self of Jean, one that is nearly limitless in power._

"It probably isn't real. The other one wasn't. It was just a book when they wrote it." I say, taking the book and putting it and the other in my nap-sack.

"You're probably right." He whispers, staring into space. I reach over to tap his shoulder. Suddenly he looks over and my hand falls slowly to the bed. "How long have you known about all of this? How could you enjoy this?"

I blink twice. "Since I was eight. I used to think that if I had the chance to be in your footsteps, some how I could make a difference. Before I had foster parents I would read the books. They were like my refuge. You were always my favorite character."

"You would take refuge in an epic battle? A battle for people who weren't even like you?" He asks.

"I took refuge in your bravery, in the battle for rights for those who I wished I could be. I was alone until I read. Then my imagination would put us together. Not like this though, never like this." I answer. He is quiet; we both are…

Then Jean walks in. Seeing that I'm awake, she rushes Kurt out and shuts the door. He doesn't resist.

"Can't he stay?" I ask.

"He was allowed to stay until you woke up. Now that you have, we have to monitor you closely and make sure that everything is ok. So, just relax, maybe get some more sleep, and you'll be better in no time." She says, rushing around.

"I wish I believed you…" I whisper. I drift off to sleep again…

A man sits alone in an office. He is in a wheelchair. A knock at the door, but the man doesn't look up. The door opens and in walks two women and two men. One woman has short red hair and the other has long white hair. One man has heavily tinted sunglasses and the other has dark, sharp eyes.

The man behind the desk looks up. He nods and says, "You wish to tell me something?"

The man with the shades steps forward and says, "The new girl, Crystal, may be a danger. She knows more than she should."

"Is this how you all feel?" The first man asks.

"No, Sir. I believe that maybe there is an explanation." The woman with the white hair says. The one with the red hair nods.

"Sir, the kid knows more than she should, but not any more than we know. She wants to be a part of something. I can't blame her for that." The dark-eyed man says.

"I see. Do any of you believe that she is a threat? That maybe she, an uneducated and untrained little girl, could be any kind of danger?" The man behind the desk asks.

"Well, no, Sir, but I do believe that maybe we should find out how she knows so much." The guy with the sunglasses says.

Another knock at the door; the man looks up and says, "Come in, Kurt."

A boy with black-blue hair walks in, a sack over his shoulder.

"What can I do for you?" The man asks.

"I can tell you how she knows so much." He says simply.

"Who?" The dark-eyed man asks.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but Crystal showed me how she knows. It's these books." He opens the bag and pulls out two comic books. The books are passed around. When everyone was done they were put back in the bag.

"Well that explains a lot." The dark-eyed man says.

"Yes, but it opens even more questions. I should be getting back to check on her." The woman with the red hair says. Then she leaves. The others fallow her, all but one.

"Is there anything else, Kurt?" The man asks.

"No, Sir. I don't think so." Then he leaves the room. The man looks back to his work and the scene grows dark…

I open my eyes. The light dazzles my eyes again. Jean is standing next to a machine, which is next to my bed.

"Did you leave?" I ask. I try to talk louder, but my throat is still soar.

"Yes, but only for a few minuets to speak with the Professor. Are you feeling all right? Is there any pain?" She says.

"No. There is no pain, none that you could help with at least." I answer. A lump forms in the pit of my stomach as I realize what I must do.

"Where does it hurt? Maybe I can help." She says looking down at me. I don't move. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

"No. I don't want to talk." I say, then I roll over and close my eyes. I don't go to sleep; I just listen to her and the sounds of the machines that she is working with.

After a while she leaves, and I'm alone again. I open my eyes and look at my hands. I can't see much of them due to the bandages. Then I realize something. There is no pain, nor is there the numb feeling of medicine.

_Something must be wrong_. I think. I look around the room. Then I realize something else. There are no IVs. Only the monitor that tracks my heart rate is connected to me. I take it off.

I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I begin to pull the bandages off. When they are nothing more than a pile of cloth on the floor, I see my hands. They are completely undamaged. I look over them, twisting them this way then that, clenching and unclenching. They are fine, almost as if nothing had happened to them.

I stand up to test my legs. They are sturdy and hold me easily. Then I notice that my nap-sack isn't anywhere. I walk around the room a little, then I head to the door. It is unlocked.

I step out into the hall and realize at once that I'm in the Lower Levels. I walk over to the elevator and get in. The trip to level 3 is smooth and uninterrupted.

The doors slide open silently, and I step into the hall. The window at the end shows the dark morning sky dotted with faint stars.

I walk quietly to my room and find it unlocked. Inside I lock the door. Then I change out of the papery hospital gown and into some genes, a T-shirt, and the leather jacket. I go into the bathroom and wash my face.

As I'm drying it off on a soft towel, the doorknob shakes. Then some one pounds on the door.

My eyes widen as I look out the peephole and see Cyclops.

"I don't know what kind of prank you're trying to pull, but open this door right now!" He yells at the door. I close my eyes and unlock the door.

He slams the door open with me still behind it. I am sandwiched between the wall of the closet and the door.

He storms in, but stops when he doesn't see anyone. I groan and shove the heavy door off. He turns around, shock written all over his face.

"You're supposed to be in the…" He starts.

"Yea, I know. But look at me, I'm fine." I say. Then I do a cartwheel and a handstand.

He shakes his head. "I just don't… I'll be right back. Stay here."

"But…" I start, but he is already gone. I sigh and go to my window. The moon is setting. I feel the familiar itch at my tailbone. I climb up onto the roof. I think as I climb.

_They think I'm a danger. They're right. If any enemies get hold of the info I know… I can't let anything happen to them…_

As my tail shuts the window I hear the door open. I quickly climb up to the peak of the roof. Below I can hear people talking. I sit on the roof, trying to hear what they are saying.

Then it all goes quiet. I start down towards the window, but then I hear it open.

"I'll go see if I can find her." I hear Nightcrawler's voice. I backpedal to the peak of the roof. I duck down on the other side and hear him come up.

"Crystal? Crystal!" He calls. I peak over and see him standing there looking out over the grounds. He is blue. I duck back down and crawl to the front of the building.

At the lip of the roof I look at the sky. The sun is starting to rise. Then I look down. No one is out yet. I jump down and land with a soft thud. I look myself over and realize that I'm fine. I start running toward a line of trees.

I stop just inside and look back. Nightcrawler is standing on the peak of the roof; the sun behind me illuminates his front. I turn and run. If his eyes catch mine then I would stop. I won't stop. I have to get away. I don't know where I'll go, but I can't stay here. I'm a danger… a threat.

I stop. I'm at the far edge of the trees. I close my eyes until my tail disappears. Then I run again.

I'm slower, clumsier, and soon I'm out of breath. In the middle of an empty sidewalk I stop and lean on a wall, trying to catch my breath…

**Chapter 2: ****Nightcrawler**

I look over the top of the roof. The wind blows my attention to the trees. I look just in time to see her tail slip out of sight. She is running away. I don't know why, all I know is that I don't want her to leave. I go back to the back edge of the roof and climb back in the window.

"So?" Wolverine asks.

"She's running away." I say. He groans. The Professor leaves first then the rest of us file out. I fallow the Professor down to Cerebro. (Cerebro, for those of you who don't know, is a machine that the Professor uses to find people by linking to their minds) I hesitate at the door.

"You can come in, Kurt." I walk into the circular room. "Just, don't move." I stop behind him, looking over his shoulder at the control panel. It makes no sense to me, so I look at the room. I've been in here before; I just have never seen it activated.

The door shuts and the Professor puts the head piece on. I look around, but nothing happens. Then the rectangular plates forming the walls disappear. In their place is like an inside out globe. You could see the continents apart from the oceans because most of the white lights were on the continents.

"Whoa…" I whisper.

"These white lights represent the humans." He says. Then the white lights fade and are replaced by red ones. "And these are the mutants. If I concentrate, you can even see us." Two lights stand out and seem to come closer. Then I recognize them as the Professor and me.

"Can you find her?" I ask, watching the "light me" move its mouth soundlessly.

"Yes." The two lights rejoin the rest. Then all the lights close to the school grow larger. One after another the lights return to the others until only a few are left, but none of them is her.

"Where is she?" I ask. He shakes his head and widens the search. Then, one just outside his enlarged range catches my eyes.

"That one. Make that one bigger." I say, pointing over his shoulder. The ones that were large are dropped and the one grows to life size.

"It's her…" I whisper. He nods and the lights are replaced again by the rectangles of the walls. The door opens and I run out.

The X-Men are there in uniform.

"I'm coming with you." I say.

"Oh, no you're not." Wolverine says.

"There's only four of you, and, besides, she trusts me." I say. Mumbles of agreement run around the group.

"Well, if he gets to go, so do I!" Kitty says, stepping out of a wall.

"But…" Cyclops starts, but something bangs the wall.

"Oh! Just one sec." She reaches one hand back through the wall and pulls Bobby out.

"I hate it when you do that." He says. I grin to myself.

"Well, I guess that settles that. We're all going." Morphious says, stepping out of his hiding spot. Then 15 other students come out of hiding and crowd around. All of us younger ones are in full uniform as well.

"I suppose you could use all the help you can get." The Professor says with a slight laugh. Cyclops sighs and we all cheer.

"So, when do we go?" I ask.

"We go at sundown." Wolverine says.

_The school is located in a business area. Just down the street is a comic shop. The windows boast about its newest release._

At nightfall, we exit the school in normal cloths, our uniforms safely hidden underneath. I get grouped with Tashona, Iris and Johnny.

"So. Where should we start, Kurt?" Iris asks.

"I don't know. Maybe that shop." I answer.

"A comic shop? You gota be kidding me…" Johnny complains.

"Why do you think we should go there?" Tashona asks.

"I just have a feeling." I whisper. I used to be sure about everything. I always had a plan. I always knew my place, then she came along. I'm not sure of much any more. After she showed me those comics… I don't know…

"Kurt? _Crish: earth to Kurt. Do you come in Kurt? Over._" Johnny says, interrupting my thoughts.

"What?" I snap.

"Nothing…" He says and looks around. I start straight for the comic shop, the others trailing behind.

I step in the door. A slender, lanky teen is sitting behind the counter. He looks up from a comic book. His eyes travel over each of us in turn.

"What can I do for you, Kids?" He says.

"We were looking to see if you had any X-Men comics." I say. He looks me over.

"Yes. Who are you?" He asks.

"What?" I ask, taken aback.

"You kids must be having some kind of party or something. So who are you?" He says.

"Oh! I'm… I'm Nightcrawler. This is Ivy, Torch and Toph." I say. (Ivy is Iris, Torch is Johnny, and Toph is Tashona) He nods.

"So where are the X-Men comics?" Tashona asks.

"Well, 'Toph', they are right here." He says, jumping over the counter and leading the way to a small section of comics. "These are all the X-Men comics. These are all the extensions off those comics. These are the Fan Art comics." He points each section out then walks to the next isle to tidy something up.

I flip through the books. Then one catches my eye.

On the cover is a girl, sneaking past the bright lights from a comic shop. Inside the window you can see a group of four kids gathered around a comic. In the next isle a man is watching over the top of the shelves.

I can recognize each and every character. I open the first page. It's blank. I turn and walk to the counter.

The man beats me there, vaulting over the counter again.

"This it?" He asks. I nod. "This is a weird one. Last I saw it was blank." I nod again and hand the money over.

"Thanks." Iris says over her shoulder as she shuts the door behind the rest of us.

"Why did you get a blank comic?" Johnny asks.

"It's not blank." I say, handing it to him. He looks the cover over twice before comprehension dawns on his face and he hands it on. The others got it right away.

"So what does this mean?" Tashona asks.

"It means that we have to find her." I say.

Taking the book back, I open up the first page again. It is now fully covered in pictures and words.

Crystal lies asleep on a bed. Her eyes are closed and a troubled expression is all over her face. In the next frame is a dark office with a man in a wheel chair; the Professor. A knock at the door and people come in. Jean, Scot, Ororo, Logan, and me. They talk then leave.

I'm scanning the pictures, not needing to read the words. I remembered the conversation.

Crystal wakes up and sits up. She pulls bandages off her hands and gets up and leaves. She races to her room but is discovered by Scot. He rushes out and she climbs to the roof. After a while I come up onto the roof looking for her. She jumps down and runs into the trees. A thought bubble reads, "I'm a danger to them… If anything happened to them… to him… I'm a threat. If any enemies knew the things I know about them…" She then races to the edge of the trees, looses her fur and begins running. She stops to breathe in the ally next to the comic shop. She sees us coming. We walk right past her into the shop. She sneaks past us and down the street. Then the book is blank again.

"That way." I whisper pointing down the street. They had been keeping themselves entertained. They all looked up at me. Tashona nods, Johnny rolls his eyes, and Iris looks down the street.

I lead the way. At the end of the street is a train station. One of the doors is gliding slowly shut.

**BAMPH! BAMPH! **A cloud of black smoke engulfs me. Another cloud rises on the steps of the train station. I step from the second cloud before the first is gone. The inside of the lobby is brightly light. I blink my eyes and walk into the room.

A woman is sitting behind the desk. Typing away at a computer. She glances up and says, "What can I do ya for?"

"Um. Have you seen a girl? About this tall? Red hair?" I ask.

"I can't recall…" She says absently.

"Where was the last ticket you sold going?" I ask.

"Um… Utah, I believe. Strange girl too…" she says.

"What did she look like?" I almost yell.

"About your height and red hair." She says, finally looking up. I grown.

"When does the train leave?" Iris asks quietly.

"In a few minuets. It departs from platform 10. Would you like to buy a ticket?" She answers.

"No. Thank you." Iris replies and we leave the counter. I lead the way down the platforms until I get to 10. Once there, we spread out and look for her. I pull the comic out of my pocket to see if anything had changed. A new page had appeared.

Crystal was sitting on a train. She is thinking of her parents. She looks out a window and sees a boy looking dumb struck with a comic hanging from one hand. A thought bubble of hers reads, "I'm so sorry I have to do this. I would never want to hurt anyone, most of all you. I can't stay… I wish I could, Kurt. I wish I could…" But the picture is only half there. It looks like the picture is coming out of a fog.

I close the book and scan the windows of a train a few rows down. Then I look at the one right in front of me. There she is.

"Crystal!" I shout and run for the door of the train. Her horrified eyes watch me until I am on the train. Then it starts to move. I stumble down the walkway as the train gains speed. I come to her seat and sit next to her.

"What are you doing here?" She asks. Her eyes trying not to look at me.

"I had to come. You don't have to leave. We can help you. You don't have to worry. You aren't a danger to anyone." I answer.

"You don't know what I know. If anyone gets hold of the knowledge I have about you, all of you…" She trails off.

"I know, but we can protect you." I tell her. I raise my hand to try to comfort her, but it falls when she turns her eyes to look at me.

"Nothing can help me." She says harshly. Her voice is rough, not like hers. She sounds suddenly different.

"Are you ok?" I ask.

"I… I'm fine." Her voice is normal again. I stare at her for a bit, then she looks out the window.

"Listen, I…" Suddenly the train lurches to a stop. "Uh oh. Not good."

"What's going on?" She, and many others, ask. Everyone looks around. I take a deep breath, stand, and look toward the back of the train. She follows my gaze.

All the metal on the train is being pulled to the back of the train. I glance at her. Her eyes are wide with sudden understanding.

I look back to the back. Suddenly the back end of the train is ripped away with such force that the air swirls around us, causing loose objects to swirl. Loose wires dance around sending sparks flying.

"No… this can't be happening… not _Him_…" She mutters to herself.

A shadowy form of a human (or something worse) comes closer to the mayhem aboard the train. Crystal throws herself down, flattening against the seat. A cape swirls around the person, still not visible due to the lights from the sparking wires. Then he comes aboard…

"You seem surprised to see me." The man says, coming to a rest on the walkway. He has a helmet on that matches his cape.

"Magneto." I breathe. Crystal's eyes are wide; she squeals and tries to sink farther into the seat.

"I see you have company." He says with a smirk. I glance down, then back at him. His smile widens. He raises a hand, and with it the bench-seat rises. Crystal yelps and jumps down from it. He casually flicks his wrist and the bench goes whizzing out of the gaping hole in the train.

Crystal stands up strait, and faces him, her short red hair suddenly whipping around. Her hands are fists, her arms hanging tensely by her side. Her eyes are eyes are filled with anger… maybe even hatred… She lets out a small growl. He looks confused.

"I'm sorry, child, but do I know you?"

"If you don't you will…" She breaths. Some how he hears her. His eyes narrow. Her fists begin to shake.

_Something isn't right here…_

I look around. The humans around us are staring transfixed at us. I look back to Magneto. His head is tilted to one side as if confused again. I look at Crystal, where his eyes are fixed.

Her fists have burst with fire. She doesn't notice, doesn't move. She just stares into his eyes.

He looks back to me, as if looking for an explanation.

"Who is she?" He asks.

"She's-" I start, but she cuts me off.

"I am Twilight." She says. "I have no past that concerns you. I have no destiny that holds me. You are just another bump in the road."

I stare at her eyes. They are so full of fury.

"Twilight?" I whisper. Her eyes snap to mine. They burn with the desire to hit, kick, and inflict pain; maybe even kill. I flinch back a step. She looks back at Magneto. The fire on her hands dances up her arm.

Then I remember something. She was afraid to make eye contact. Why now would she keep up such a heavy stare at a man she obviously hates?

I grab her shoulder. She turns to face me. Then I notice something else. Her eyes aren't red any more… they are yellow.

"Mystique?" I ask.

She nods. "But not the way you think, lover boy." Crystal says. It's Crystal's mouth, her voice, but it isn't her.

"Why? Why would you want to change into her?" I ask.

"Oh, she didn't" Magneto says. Crystal smiles, her teeth are sharp.

"I have learned how to use others' powers while I _am_ them." Mystique says.

"I… what?" I am so confused.

"You idiot." She says. "I didn't become her. I am just… inside her head." Magneto grins as if it was some kind of sick joke. She walks over to stand next to him, looking up at him with admiring eyes.

"No. You can't take her!" I yell. I take a step closer to them. He raises his hand, she waves, and then the train shoots forward and they stay where they are.

I turn around on the speeding train and try to get to the front. Its hard considering how fast the train is going.

_This is pathetic. I can't even stop a train! This is hopeless…_

I let my form shift and become blue and teleport to the front of the car. I open the door to the next car and rush inside. People are screaming and none of them notice me… good.

This car is the one with the control panel. I teleport to the door and burst inside. I grab the brake with both hands and pull it back.

It snaps off. Then an idea pops into my head. If I teleport the train then it will stop moving. It only has to be a little ahead of where I am. I grab the control panel.

I close my eyes for concentration. I have to visualize the entire train and everyone on it. The smoke surrounds me. It surrounds the train. I hear people scream as the smoke fills the air. I force the smoke around everything. Then I let go…

**Chapter 3: ****Torch**

I glance around the station. Then I sit back on the bench and pretend to pay attention. Tashona is at one end of the train station and Iris is at the other. I'm in the middle. Who knows where Kurt is…?

Where is Kurt? I stand up and wander slowly towards Iris. She usually isn't one to yell.

She is at the counter asking about train schedules and if the attendant behind the glass had seen anyone matching Crystal's description. A huge guy is right behind her. He is wearing a coat made of some kind of fur.

I look around a few feet from the counter. A lot of people are crowding the station. _Must be rush hour._

I'm watching a mom drag her kid across the station with little success. A sound of crunching glass rings in my ear. I turn and see the huge guy holding Iris to the glass by her throat. The glass cracking under the pressure from her head. Her eyes give away no trace of fear.

I start to rush over to them, but something grabs my ankle and flings me across the station. I land with a hard thunk at Tashona's feet.

She looks down at me with a look I know means 'what did you do this time'. I get up and brush away imaginary dust.

"Do I want to know…?" She asks.

"I was carefully scanning the crowd and something flung me to land at your feet. Oh, and some huge guy with a fur coat slammed Iris to the glass at the counter so hard it started to crack." I say, examining my fingernail with intent concentration. She growls and grabs the back of my shirt to drag me to the other end of the station.

The mom who was dragging the kid had made it half way down the station when she saw what was causing the commotion. Then she scooped him up and began to run.

I slip out of Tashona's grip and run beside her. By the time we get to the other end, plants are growing rapidly everywhere. One is winding around the huge guy and beginning to squeeze. His eyes are bulging but he holds his grip to Iris. Her eyes look like vines have twined around them.

"Fla.…" I start.

"No. Not here…" Tashona whispers.

"But she is." I say, waving my hand at Iris' little jungle. She sighs and nods. I nod.

"FLAME ON!" I yell. Flames burst all over my body. I fly towards the two of them.

A section of the marble under Tashona pulls away from the rest and carries her towards them. She throws rocks at the huge guy the whole way, each hunch of marble and stone sharper than the last.

"Hey! Save some for me!" I yell to her. She grins back at me and shoots a rock at me. It burns before it gets close enough to touch me.

"That's not what I mean!" I yell. She grins and shoots another rock at the back of the huge man. He lets out an inhuman howl of pain and releases Iris. She crumples to the floor rubbing her throat. I shoot down to join the fray when something drops on me, knocking me to the ground. I loose concentration and loose my fire.

I try to roll over, but whatever knocked me down still sat on me.

"Quit playin' around, Sabertooth! Let's get out of here! He has her!" The guy on me yells to the huge…guy?

Now that I see his front he looks more like a human/lion. His eyes full of furry, his fangs bared. He reaches back and pulls a sharp rock out. His fingernails are more like claws than actual nails. He crushes the rock into dust.

He throws it aside and stalks off. The guy on top of me leaps off and lands on the bench I had been sitting on earlier. It is smashed to splinters. Now that I get a look at him he isn't human either. He looks like a… human/toad.

His tongue shoots out and raps around the big guy's ankle and trips him. Giggling, he leaps over his comrade and lands at a door at the other end of the station.

"Well that sucked." I say, standing up and popping my back.

"Ya, no kidding." Tashona says. Iris nods, still sitting where she had been dropped, still rubbing her throat. Tashona stomps her foot, causing the rock under Iris to launch her to her feet.

"Where's Kurt?" I ask. Iris and Tashona both shrug…

**Chapter 4: ****IceMan**

I was paired with Rogue, Jake, and Kitty. It is kind of awkward being in a group with Rogue and Kitty together. Rogue is my girlfriend. Kitty is my friend who is a girl. I think Rogue thinks it is something more, but it isn't.

We exit the school and head down the road. Rogue is walking between Kitty and me.

"Any idea where we should start?" Jacob asks.

"I… no. I didn't know her…" I answer quietly.

"Well isn't this great? Sent on a wild goose chase after some new girl." Rogue says under her breath.

I try to shake off her words when I see Kurt, Iris, Tashona, and Johnny walk out of the comic shop down the street. They all huddle around it. I shrug and start down the next street, the others following on my heels.

We walk all the way down to the end of the street to where the train station is. I stop and glance around. Then I hear this loud crash. People start screaming and running out of the building. I rush towards the door, slipping between the frightened gush of people.

I stop at the door to wait for the rest of us, but find them already squeezing through the doors. So I do the same.

Inside it is harder to get around and see what's going on, but I push my way through the crowds towards the sounds of smashing rock, crackling fire, the slither of vines, and an inhuman howl.

The others are lost in the crowds. I silently hope they don't get trampled and push on.

The station is clearing and I catch a glimpse of what is happening. Iris is on the ground, rubbing her throat with one hand. Johnny is struggling with a frog- no, toad- looking thing. Tashona is firing sharp rocks at the animal-man.

I rush forward. Suddenly the toad thing shouts, "Quit playin' around, Sabertooth! Let's get out of here! He has her!" The animal guy pulls one of the sharp rocks out of his back and crushes it to powder. Than they run off. I don't watch them go. I walk slowly towards my friends. They talk and Tashona and Iris both shrug. Then they notice me.

"IceMan! Could have used your help back there, man." Johnny says.

I grin and say, "You looked like you had things under control. You almost got out from under that toad. We all laugh. Rogue, Kitty, and Jake join in as they show up. Then I remember some thing.

"Guys, wasn't Nightcrawler with you?"

"Ya, but we lost him." Tashona says, not offering any more of an explanation.

Suddenly an alarm starts buzzing around the train station. I run to a door next to the broken glass of the counter. It's unlocked so I step in.

The control panel is bright and flashing. I look over the security cameras and see that part of the end of a train had been ripped away. The rest of the train is flying down the track. Then the train is engulfed in black smoke. I watch the monitor intensely as- the rest of us filling in to watch- the train disappears into thin air and reappears on the track a second after at a complete stop.

I take a breath and realize that I'd been holding it in. Tashona and Kitty look at a map on the back wall.

"I know where that is." Kitty says.

"Ya, me too." Tashona replies.

"Lets go see how Nightcrawler is doing."

We go over yet another hill and look down upon the smoldering mess. The train is almost in one piece, save for the rear end being torn away. People crowd around the front of the train, staring fixedly.

I let my ice melt away. Johnny touches down and lets his fire burn out. Tashona settles her rock to the ground. Rogue jumps off the rock to the solid ground, her legs a little weak, so I rush to her side. Kitty rises calmly out of the stone. Iris lets her plants bend down as she steps off. Jake runs up the hill and stops in the midst of our huddle.

"So, do we aid our friend or do we let him come to us?" Jacob asks.

"I don't think he's coming…" Johnny says.

"Then lets go… help." Tashona says with a sly grin. I nod and we walk quietly down the hill. Then I lead the way to the back of the train. We all climb in through the jagged hole.

The humans look back and move silently out of the way as we make our way to the front. The door to the control room is hanging on its hinges. Inside, slumped on the floor, is Nightcrawler.

**Chapter 5: ****Twilight**

The last thing I remember is that I was talking with Kurt. Then it felt like my skull was on fire or like something was pushing its way through. I remember Magneto coming onto the train, but it was like it was far a way, like I was watching a movie and not living it. Then I heard _her_ voice. It doesn't say anything in particular, or at least that I can understand. She just sort of mumbles. I knew the voice, just like I knew everything else. Mystic; she found a way to get inside my head… like the Professor…

Now I'm finding that the connection goes both ways. I realize that I can read her mind just as easily as she can mine.

I vaguely feel my mouth move and notice that I'm looking at Magneto. I feel a detached sort of loathing, then I return to my mind. I know that just going into my mind, and hers, that I am surrendering control of my body, but oh well…

I see trough her eyes and feel a detached, numb feeling of pity, and then the feeling is gone. I turn to her mind and see memories of her past that I don't want to see…

I understand now… I think to myself. Of corse, she hears.

Understand what? She thinks, knowing I will hear.

Why you chose to be with him. I know what it's like when no one cares. I know how it feels to want someone to care so bad that you may do things you wouldn't have done before… I- I whisper in our minds.

She cuts me off, scoffing my thoughts. You know nothing, girl. 

Oh I know more than you know… I try threatening.

I may not, but I will. She whispers with an echoing laugh.

I return to my body and see what has happened. My hand is up and I'm waving. Suddenly the train rips away and the last I see is Kurt's astonished face. I try to take a step but she doesn't let me.

Let me go! I scream and yet I make no sound. I don't even move.

"Shall we go?" Magneto asks. He looks down at me with an unreadable expression somewhere between triumph, love, and hate. My head nods and my body tightens as Magneto brings our metal platform back to the station.

Tell me what you are gonna do to me. I ask. She laughs through my mouth. Magneto looks down with a questioning expression.

"She wants to know what we are going to do." Mystic says through me. They both laugh.

I dive back into my brain to find hers. I loose myself in her thoughts. She expertly keeps their plans out of thought, but I dig deeper.

"Oh… no!" The words rip from my lips as the metal platform comes to a stop.

"What now?" Magneto asks.

"Sorry. She slipped through. I won't let it happen again." She apologizes hurriedly. He nods and we step off the platform to two others.

"About time…" The short green one says. The big one growls deep in his throat.

Toad! Sabertooth! I say with awe.

How do you know? She whispers. I remain silent and keep my mind on the present.

We walk out through the front doors, all signs of people long gone. The doors open with a slight flick of Magneto's hand. A bright spotlight floods over us as we step onto the top step.

Cop cars surround the building. Guns are pointed and cocked. I gasp silently and watch as Sabertooth reaches, quick as lightning, and grabs Magneto around the throat.

Magneto looks up and says, "Must you do this every time I try to secure the future, Charles?" I remember the first movie and have a deja-vu feeling. Then I quickly erase it from my mind.

What was _that_? She croons, digging through my mind. I try to stop her, do anything to get in her way.

I start thinking of anything. The sky, the ocean, the color of gum that got stuck on the bottom of my shoe walking out of the theater after watching… No!

Mystic shoves into the memory. As I continue frantically she is swept along with me.

The dark room in the back of a seaside shack, I shake my head and freak out… I open my eyes and see Kurt; I'm in the lower levels… No!

She pries; I try to drag her on again.

A group of girls sits in a circle; one across from me has an X-Men T-shirt… I'm sitting in a theater next to my friend. The lights grow dim. The X-Men symbol appears on the screen… Bluepool grabs Nightcrawler's shoulder and turns him around… NO! No, no, no, no, no, no!

I can't keep it from her… She pries into my memory…

I see a brick wall. The bricks are clear. All around is darkness. I see Mystic; she looks around with confusion. I look down at myself; I'm blue.

I look up at her. She is running at me, I blink and when I open my eyes I cough. I'm behind her. She skids to a stop and turns around. I look at my hands, a small coil of smoke rolls off each… weird.

She changes into a gargoyle and takes to the skies. My tail wags into view. The red strip is glowing… My hands are smoking like a fire…

She dives towards me… I look her in the eyes. She blinks and slows, but is still going really fast… I stand my ground and don't avert my eyes. I hope they don't show the knot fear I feel in the pit of my stomach…

She regains the lost speed and gains more… I grind my shoes into the black dirt… The clear brick wall surrounds us… She reaches out with her sharp talons… I throw my hands up, palms out towards her, and push as though I was lifting something heavy.

She flies back as if something had hit her hard in the chest, changing as she falls. She lands on her feet, having turned back to 'normal'. I stare down at my smoking hands and look up at her. She glares at me. I look back to my hands…

She stands and approaches me in a defensive position. I grind my shoes into the sandy, black dirt. She walks slowly. I watch her closely. She leaps at me suddenly as a strange creature with blades and all other manner of sharp things. I swing my hands around as if pushing over a tall, heavy crate…

She flies back, hits the ground, and skids to a stop before she changes back. She climbs up with heavy breath. I clench and unclench my fists, feeling the smoke wrap around and inside my gloves.

I put my hands together (gently touching at the wrists) close to my stomach, palms out towards her. She stares at them, so I look down at them. A small ball of fire had formed in my slightly bent fingers. The flames licked my fingers, but I felt no pain.

_Pain is for the body_, I hear something tell me.

"What are you waiting for, girl? I'm going to win, and you can't stop me here. This is the Battlefield of the Mind. You can't win this battle." Mystic says, circling closer. I watch her, but don't move my feet.

"You can't live with fear." I whisper. "You can't live with fear…" The flame in my hand glows blue and grows, then returns to normal…

"So you won't give up?" She asks. I shake my head slowly. She walks behind me. I follow her so far with my head and eyes, and turn it to watch her come out from behind me.

As I turn my head she changes. When I look at her again, she isn't him. She is Kurt…

"Crystal! Finally, I've been looking everywhere for you. I was worried about you." She says using his mouth, his voice.

I close my eyes and whisper, "It's not real... this isn't him… you can't live with fear… you can't live with fear…"

I open my eye. He is standing there smiling. He holds his hand out as if to help me. No, it isn't him; it's her…

I take a deep breath. A scream rips its way from my throat as I push my hand forward with great force. The flames glow blue as they shoot and hit her in the chest. She changes to herself as the flames engulf her; she screams… an ear-shattering screech. It hurts my ears and makes my head swim with the high pitch.

All goes black as my arms fall to my sides and the flame goes out…

**Chapter 6: ****Shadowcat**

"Oh, shit." Tashona says. We all look down at the crumpled pile that is Nightcrawler.

"Oh man, is he dead?" Johnny asks, not coming all the way in.

"I don't think so…" Bobby says.

I bend down and gently take his hand in mine. Everyone stares as I place two fingers on his wrist. I let go a breath I hadn't noticed holding.

"He's alive." I announce. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief.

His head rolls over and he groans. One eye cracked open, then they both pop open wide, staring at nothing, not focusing.

Jacob kneels down and covers Kurt's eyes. When he removes his hands Kurt's pupils shrink.

"His eyes are responding normally to the light…" Jake comments.

"So what do we do?" Johnny asks bouncing up and down with boredom.

"Let's take him back to the school." Bobby suggests.

"Ya. The Professor will know what to do." Rouge says, looking away. She looks like she is gonna be sick.

"What about them?" Tashona asks, thrusting her thumb over her shoulder.

"I… some of us stay and the rest of us will take Nightcrawler back. The group that goes back asks what to do about them." Bobby says.

"Same teams?" I ask.

"Sure, why not?" Tashona asks.

"I believe we should be the ones to take him. We were the ones who were in Nightcrawler's group." Iris says. Bobby nods.

Johnny and Tashona gently lift Nightcrawler onto a stone stretcher that Tashona had just made. Iris and Tashona climb onto the stone and Johnny turns to fire. They fly off into the darkness.

I turn around. A hundred faces, all full of fear, wonder, and worry, stare at us.

"Um, Bobby? What are we supposed to do until they get back?" I ask, turning back to him. He looks out at all the downcast faces.

"I… I don't know." He says, looking down.

Jacob walks down the isle reassuring all the people, making sure that everyone is ok, reminding everyone to remain calm, and telling them that more help is on the way.

Bobby looks up and starts helping. Rouge watches for a few minuets then follows suit. I hang back and watch them.

When they get to the next car I run to catch up and start helping.

**Chapter 7: ****Angela**

"Man, my feet hurt." May Day complains as we round yet another corner in the subdivision. Reed, Jubilee, and I all groan as she shoots her mouth off again.

"… I mean, if she wanted to be found she wouldn't have run away, right? Besides, if she were here, wouldn't we have already found her? Come on, guys, can't we take a break…" She wines.

We turn another corner and the mansion comes into view. There are three boys slouching around by the gate. We walk up a few blocks and stand with them.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the 'Three Stooges'. Piro, Morphious, and Bluepool… aren't you guys supposed to be searching like the rest of us?" Jubilee asks.

"We were told to wait here in case she came back." Piro says, his voice sounding oddly like flames crackling over a dry log.

"Oh?" I ask mockingly.

"Do you have a reason for bothering us?" Bluepool asks dryly, not looking up.

"No. We just got done searching our area and thought we'd drop in." Reed says. He talks with a straight face, but his big, almost dopey, grin breaks out anyway. I can't help but smile around him, but he likes Sarah.

Bluepool's electric-blue eyes dart to mine. A shiver runs down my spine, rustling my wings. He looks away and I stand more at ease.

"So… Seen anything yet?" Mayday asks.

"Well, no. We haven't been looking now, have we?" Morphious says with a grin. He looks at Bluepool who stares coolly at him. The grin fades quickly.

Piro's eyes flash to the sky. I follow his gaze and gasp. The others notice where we are looking and everyone stares.

A small light flies beside a shadowy blob. As they draw closer we all tense, expecting the worst from the new sight.

Suddenly the rock hits the ground, sending Toph, Iris, and Nightcrawler flying. Torch lands gently and walks up to Piro.

"Hey, man. What's up?" Torch asks.

"Not much." Piro says. They exchange a weird, fiery, handshake thing.

I walk swiftly forward to help Nightcrawler to his feet. Reed helps the girls up, stretching to help both at the same time.

Nightcrawler lies in a heap where he landed, face down. I roll him over and scream.

The others rush to see what is going on, Reed making it first. Tashona, iris, and torch push their way to the front and start to heave him up.

"What's wrong with him?" I ask.

Johnny shakes his head. "We don't know. We were hoping the Professor could figure it out."

"If anyone can, he can." Reed agrees. We crowd through the gates, all trying to help, but mostly getting in the way.

In the midst of all the commotion and foot stepping, I say a silent prayer.

**Chapter 8: ****Storm**

The professor sits in his chair towards the back of the jet. He closes his eyes.

I steer the jet and activate stealth mode. Silently and invisibly I set the jet down onto the roof of the train station.

I walk back to the Professor, who is now muttering as if asleep. I know not to disturb him, so I return to the pilots seat and watch the action from the window.

Sabertooth has Magneto around the throat. Toad is watching the cops. Usual stuff. Then I notice the child, Crystal.

"Now what is she doing here?" I ask myself.

The cops hold plastic guns to try and hinder Magneto powerless. It would work had he not been engrossed in other problems.

Suddenly Crystal starts to shake as if very cold. Magneto pays no attention to her.

"Professor!" I yell, getting caught up in worry.

She shakes so hard she almost falls, but Toad steps forward and catches her. She still shakes and shivers as Toad stands her back on her feet, but she is no longer in danger of falling over.

"What is going on down there?" I wonder aloud, getting annoyed and lonely.

Crystal looks up at the black sky and falls in a heap to the ground.

**Chapter 9: ****Ivy**

We burst through the doors, jumbled together around Nightcrawler. Jean looks up from a book she was reading on the couch in the TV/game room. When she sees what we are doing she jumps up to help.

"Take him to the Lower Levels." Jean says running ahead to get the elevator. I have Nightcrawler's head, more or less. His wide, staring eyes are unnerving.

I wonder if he can see any of this… Wonder what he is thinking if he can see…

**Chapter 10: ****Nightcrawler**

I can't move. I can only see what is directly above my eyes. For a while all I see is the insides of my eyelids, then for a short while I see the roof of the train.

Faces fly in and out of my field of view so quickly I can't tell if they were really there or if I was imagining it. One stays for long enough to speak, moving its mouth like a blur. Then it's gone.

I feel myself being lifted and carried. I fear about whiplash; they move me so quickly…

I see the sky for a few moments. Then I am being roughly moved very quickly. The roof of the school passes by in a blur. I see a flash of red hair. The elevator, the Lower Levels. Then I stop and someone tries to close my eyes. They give up quickly.

I am left alone, or as far as I can see I am. I have stopped moving at least. The roof is white with stainless-steal rimmed lights.

I hear voices, but not with my ears. Voices from the train, forever screaming. Voices of friends, also screaming. The voice of everyone I have ever met, ever seen, screaming in agony. All but one voice.

I want to clamp my hands over my ears, but I know I can't, and even if I could, would it make a difference?

I hear a faint voice floating over the screams. It whispers, yet is heard. It is quiet, yet it overpowers all of the screams.

You can't live with fear, Kurt. I'll see you soon, you can count on it. Crystal's voice breaks through my mind, silencing the screams. It echoes around like a yell in a cave, only a whisper.

_I will make sure, somehow, that we will be together again, Crystal. I promise._

As I lay more faces (or is it the same one over and over again?) speeds past my line of sight.


End file.
